Reading? For Fun?
by smilelaughread
Summary: A late night encounter in a darkened corridor, but it's not what it sounds like. 5/50 for Character Diversity, and week two for the 52 weeks competition.


_Book – 5/50 for the Character Diversity Boot Camp Challenge For Hermione. _

_Also written for week two of the 52 Weeks of Writing 2013 Competition with the prompts: Sleepwalking, Sneaky, "Is that what I think it is?"_

Hermione was beginning to get very suspicious. Ron had not been free any night for the past week, and exams were approaching quickly. It was crunch time, especially for Ron who didn't do work throughout the year and expected to complete his courses with high marks. Crunch time, and he was nowhere to be found.

In the past, he'd jumped on any chance to get some extra study time with Hermione, a fact that she had always loved. And even Harry, who was off in his own world, was there for her study sessions in the common room. Most of the other Gryffindors in their year had shown up, but not Ron.

It was all very mysterious.

The strangest thing was that not even Hermione could pinpoint quite where or when Ron slipped away. All she knew was that; most days, he could be found stuffing his mouth full of food at dinner time. After dessert was served and eaten, however, it was all fair game and at some point, she would look around and realize that he was nowhere in sight.

One night, just as the first stars were becoming visible through the ceiling of the Great Hall, Ron had said that needed the bathroom, and had run off. He hasn't returned that night.

Another time, Ron had begged off (in the middle of a chess tournament in the common room, in fact!), saying he was tired and wanted to sleep. But Harry had told her the next morning that he hadn't been in bed.

It was definitely worth investigating. Why was he being so sneaky? Was he hiding something? It was going to take a lot of brainpower to recognize and categorize his escape techniques, to follow him covertly, and to go and find out what he was doi—

"Oomph,"

A sequence of thumping noises that Hermione recognized sounded out as she bumped into someone. the force of the impact pushed her back, but otherwise she was fine.

Books had fallen to the ground, and without looking at the person, she leaned over to pick them up.

"I'm so sorry," she said, kneeling to feel around on the floor. The corridor was far too dark, almost dreamlike in that all she was aware if was the space within a two-metre radius of her. "I don't know what's gotten into me lately. I've developed a bit of clumsiness from my friends, it seems."

The other person—male, for certain—made an awkward noise that Hermione took to be a forced chuckle. In the darkness of the corridor (why was he even out so late at night?), she blushed a deep red.

Straightening, finally, and smoothing out her robes with one hand while a considerable stack of books was held in the other, Hermione pushed some of her untamable hair behind her ear. She slipped her wand out of her pocket, remembering that she was a witch and could, in fact, shed some light on the dark situation.

It certainly wouldn't do to lose any books for her distractedness.

She cast a glance over the floor as the pool of light illuminated the space in front of her, satisfaction growing as she saw a book. She had been right!

Right before she picked it up, just as her fingertips were about to make contact with the faded material of the bindings, a feeling of familiarity ran through her. She knew that book...

"Is that what I think it is?" Hermione asked with a smile. "Hogwarts, A History? That has to be my favourite book of all times—"

She looked up at the wonderful stranger who had proven to her that people did read Hogwarts, A History for fun... Harry would never believe her, and if she told R...

"Ron?" She asked—yelped, taking a step back in shock. The light from her wand faltered for a second, plunging them into darkness for a fraction of a second. "What are you doing here... With that book? Wha-what's going on?"

Ron, who looked uncomfortable and far too shifty eyes for her liking, shifted his weight from one leg to the other, socking in one cheek as he did. "I was sleepwalking?" He tried, but it was not nearly convincing enough for her to believe it for a second.

Hermione tapped one foot on the cold stone floors, the noise echoing through the corridor in a very satisfactory way. "What is going on?"

Ron sighed. "So, uh, Hermionewillyougooutwithme?"

She was silent, sure she had misheard. Her heart thumped out a staccato rhythm in her chest. "Sorry, what?"

Ron avoided her sharp gaze. "I like you, Hermione," he said, twining his fingers together. Hermione hugged the books she held tightly, a little frightened, "and I wanted to impress you by reading an-and I think I might want to spend longer than Hogwarts has been standing with you. Or something. You're probably going to correct my grammar right about now."

Hermione dropped the books she had rounded up once more. "Did you just..." She faltered, unable to string words together coherently. "Hogwarts, A History reference? You just... You-"

"Well, the first page, at any rate," Ron looked bashful. "The basic history was on a fact sheet on—"

"Page forty-three, I know!" Hermione was holding back tears. "Oh, Ron! Yes!"

His head snapped up to look at her. The look in his eyes expressed his disbelief. "What?"

"Yes. I'll go on a date with you." She was beginning to get uncomfortable under his unfaltering eyes. "Yes, Ron."

He sighed, dropped his books, and moved forward to give her a hug. Hermione leaned into him, head spinning, and then pulled back. "Pick up the books, then meet me at Gryffindor tower, yeah?"

He nodded. "Let me be your knight in shining armour, Hermione," he said, and Hermione tensed, eager, "I promise I'll keep you safer than any of the 32183.28 knights on display here in Hogwarts ever could."

Hermione giggled at the .28, understanding the reference. "The Tower?" She asked, grinning. He nodded.

"I'll see you there," he said, grinning widely. Hermione quite returned the grin, floating with each step.

Hermione was in a happy haze all the way back to Gryffindor, and then realized she'd dropped a _book_ for a _boy_.

The horror.


End file.
